Foggy Swamp Tribe

Physical information

Location

Government

First appearance

Location on map

The Foggy Swamp Tribe is one of the three Water Tribes in the Avatar World. The tribesmen are descendants of individuals who migrated from the South Pole to the Foggy Swamp in the Earth Kingdom, where they established a separate faction that eventually developed a distinct culture and bending style separate from those of the two polar tribes.[2]

Contents

History

Origin

Thousands of years before the Hundred Year War, tribesmen migrating from the Southern Water Tribe came across the Foggy Swamp in the southeastern Earth Kingdom. Due to the availability of water in the swamp, the waterbenders felt at home and decided to stay.[2]

During the Hundred Year War

During the final year of the Hundred Year War, Team Avatar discovered the tribe's existence after crashing into the swamp following a freak tornado. While traversing the wetland, Aang, Katara, and Sokka encountered Huu, who initially attacked the group in an attempt to protect the swamp. After he was defeated, however, he gave the group a quick lesson in Foggy Swamp Tribe philosophy and the swamp, which enabled Aang to use the swamp's connection to the world to see several swampbenders in pursuit of Appa and Momo, prompting the three to rush to the aid of their animals. Tho and Due briefly engaged in a duel against Aang and Katara, but refrained from attacking further after witnessing the latter waterbending, having deduced that they were "cousins". Huu arrived soon after and settled the misunderstanding before he escorted the gang back to the tribe's camp, where they sat around a campfire and ate roasted, giant flies.[1]

Months later, Hakoda and the warriors of the Southern Water Tribe traveled to the Foggy Swamp under Sokka's instruction in search of the Foggy Swamp Tribe, whom they recruited to help with the invasion of the Fire Nation during the Day of Black Sun in 100 AG. The tribe members, along with the rest of the adult participants in the invasion force, were captured by the Fire Nation when the attack failed.[3] They were promptly released following the end of the Hundred Year War and represented the tribe at Zuko's coronation as Fire Lord.[4]

Following the Hundred Year War

The tribesmen continued to reside in the Foggy Swamp and eventually encountered Toph Beifong, who decided to live in the swamp in search of enlightenment following her retirement as Chief of Police of Republic City. They were often challenged to a fight by the earthbender, though were deemed unable to "take a punch" by her.[5]

Culture

The Foggy Swamp Tribe is a waterbending settlement situated in a wetland known as the Foggy Swamp, located in the southwestern part of the Earth Kingdom.[2] It remained relatively isolated to the polar Water Tribes and the rest of the world until the tribe's involvement in the invasion of the Fire Nation in 100 AG. Despite the Foggy Swamp Tribe's complete independence from both of its sister tribes, it is not formally recognized as a separate political entity and thus did not have a representative in the United Republic Council at any point in time.[6]

Although technologically unsophisticated, the tribe consists of powerful waterbenders who have developed a specialized bending style adapted for swamp use. Specifically, the form employed by swampbenders differs significantly from conventional waterbending, as it primarily involves rigid bending motions and the manipulation of plant life. The tribe members indulge mostly on small game and giant insects but refrain from consuming catgators, which they domesticate and keep as pets.[1]

Members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe recognize the importance of the banyan-grove tree, as it represents the interconnected nature of the swamp and is a source of spiritual enlightenment.

The members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe are accustomed to their surroundings and have a deep appreciation of the workings of the natural world. They follow the belief that all living organisms are interconnected and reliant on each other, based on their understanding of the sacred banyan-grove tree, from where some of the tribe members have reached enlightenment.[1]

Members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe do not share any cultural characteristics or any other societal traditions with those of either the Northern or Southern Water Tribes. For instance, the people of the Foggy Swamp Tribe are light-skinned like Earth Kingdom inhabitants, as opposed to dark-skinned like many people from the Water Tribes. More so, the manner of speech used by the tribesmen is less sophisticated when compared to language used by other social groupings in the Avatar World.[1]

Both genders are involved in combat, as both female and male tribe members participated in the invasion of the Fire Nation.[7] In this way, the Foggy Swamp Tribe is more like the Southern Water Tribe than the Northern Water Tribe, as it exhibits a less patriarchal societal structure. Although isolated from its sister tribes, the members of the Foggy Swamp Tribe regard other waterbenders as "kin".[1]

Appearance

Foggy Swamp tribesmen wear green clothing that incorporates swamp elements, such as plant life. The male tribe members wear a giant leaf hat, loincloths, arm bands, and wrappings around their shins and forearms, while the women wear longer skirts and bands around their chests.

The tribe members do not use footwear and choose to use surrounding plants for clothing and camouflage as opposed to the hides of native fauna. Like their polar cousins, tribe members have hair that is generally darker shades of brown and black, but eyes that are green instead of blue, like Earth Kingdom citizens.[1]

Bending style

The Foggy Swamp style of waterbending features rigid and straight motions that are used extensively by the tribe members to propel swamp skiffs through the wetland.

The Foggy Swamp Tribe's waterbenders employ a different style of bending compared to their polar cousins. While the Northern and Southern styles are more fluid in nature, the Foggy Swamp style is more rigid and straight, reflecting the stagnant nature of swamp water. This is most evidently seen when swampbenders propel their skiffs using a much more straight-backed style than Northern waterbenders when they move their gondolas.[1] In addition, plant manipulation is also commonly used by the swampbenders, due to the diversity and abundance of flora available in the swamp.

During the Day of Black Sun, the swampbenders used their unique waterbending style effectively in combat, using long and powerful water whips. Unlike polar benders, the swampbenders used noticeable foot movements to supplement their arm movements in order to shield themselves using water, before immediately stepping forward and performing an elegant punching motion to attack.[7]

Swamp skiff

The tribe members use swamp skiffs for transportation, which are maneuvered using long wooden poles and propelled using waterbending.

Swamp skiffs are small, canoe-like vessels developed by the Foggy Swamp Tribe. The small boats are used extensively by the tribe members to travel around the wetland. The skiffs are propelled through the use of waterbending and guided by long poles that divert the vessels around obstacles present in the swamp's waterways. Swampbenders primarily use these boats to hunt and fish.[2]

Village

The village in which the tribe members reside resembles the Southern Water Tribe prior to its redevelopment following the Hundred Year War. Swampbenders reside in a relatively small village made up of huts, which are raised up by medium-length wooden poles that are meant to protect the buildings from floods. Near the center of the settlement is a fire pit where tribe members eat.[1]

Aside from Hama, Niyok, Nutha, Rafa and Misu, they were the only known Water Tribe members who lived outside the poles in another nation before the founding of Republic City, a place for people from all over the world.